Electric sign



March 12, 1940. w. D. DIEBEL ELECTRC SIGN Filed July 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WLZJAMDQNALD. DJEBEL.

ATTORNEY.

March 12, 1940. w D DlEBEL 2,193,478

ELECTRIC SIGN Filed July 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B WA, LJHM DUNHLD. 12 5511.

A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SIGN William Donald Diebel, Detroit, Mich, assignor of one-half to Cornelius F. I McIntyre, Detroit,

Mich.

Application July 11, 1938, Serial No. 218,516

5 Claims.

Myinvention relates to an advertising device andan object is an apparatus that shall attract interested attention and emphasize the reliability of the advertiser.

I attain this object in the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a constructionembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the various electric circuits and switches and switch-operating mechanism;

- Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a single circuit;

- Figs. '4 and 5 show modified forms of some of the parts.

l is an exhibition frame which I have shown as having an ornamental base 2, and an arcuate, or polygonal; upper edge with a flat surface intermediate the two. Upon said surface is the representation of a table top 3 in perspective, extending from the right hand lower corner of said frame slantingly upward and to theleft and along the upper edge .of said tabletop, represented as extending at right angles upward therefrom, are the display letters I forming the words -.dont Gamble. In front of said letters on said table top are the representationsof two parallel rows of dice 5 and 6 extending parallel to'the longitudinal edges of said table top from the upper left hand end of the table top to the lower right hand end.

The table top, rows of dice, and the letters dont Gamble are foreshortened and small toward the left as extending into the background and are enlarged toward the right as extending into the foreground and more directly into the vision of the observer. of the dice are translucent.

In the blank space at the left and below the table top is placed the advertising legend, designed to complete the idea of which the words dont Gamble indicate the first part, as Buy The Infallible Companys Produce.

As hereinafter described, electric apparatus and circuits are combined to successively light up the words dont and Gamble and then the dice successively from the 'left tothe right so as to give the appearance of a pair of thrown dice rolling in said direction, and the last dice of each of said rows is adapted to show a varying set of dots to illustrate the uncertainty in the results when dice are thrown. As shown the display device comprises a plurality of separate representation's of a die arranged to represent a sequence of consecutive positions differing by combined The dots, .or markings,

rotation and translation similarly to a thrown die.

Turning to Fig. 2, I is the leading-in main and 8 the out-going main. 91s a multiple switch operated by a motor l0 rotating a shaft ll having 5 spaced cams l2 thereon. The cams l3 act to move the connections to energize the leads l4-l5 to successively light the letters of the words dont and "Gamble by means of neon or other suitable lamps. The next 6 cams operate switch- 10 es to control the currents through the leads 56 to successively illuminate the dice in the rows 5 and 6 beginning at the left and continuing toward the right. Inasmuch as each die only be- 16 comes visible when its lamp is lighted, the effect on the, eye of the observer is that of two dice thrown from the left hand end of the table and rolling toward the right hand end thereof, and from the back toward the front. The dice are represented in different successive positions such so as they would take if rolling. I

The tenth and eleventh switches in the multiple switch 9 are to control circuits through leads 3| and 32 to the advertising space of the frame i. 25

Each of the large dice l6 and IT at the right hand ends of the rows 5 and 6 has a separate illuminating means for each of three pairs of spots, or markings, and a separate illuminating means for the central spot.

l8 and I9 are electric motors energized from the main I and adapted to rotate cams 20 and 2| respectively to actuate the switches 22 and 23.

24 and 25 are motors energized by currents passing through the switches 22 and 23 respectively. 26 and 21 are multiple switches operated by cams on the shafts of the motors 24 and 25 respectively. The switch 26 has four cams and operative switches in circuits leading to the lamps on the dice IS in the following manner: the switch furtherest to the left causes the illumination of the upper and lower dots on the die 5a; the next switch lights the central "dot; the next switch the right and left dots; and the fourth switch the two central dots at the upper and 5 lower edges.

The multiple switch 21 is constructed like 26 and is similarly connected to the die I I.

The lastswitch 28 on the multiple switch 9 has a conductor 29 adapted to supply a current to the 50 switches 22 and 23 and to the motors 24 and 25.

The ninth switch from the left in the multiple switch 9 is in a circuit conveying a current through the lead 30 and multiple switches 26 and 21 to the dice l6 and I1.

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows:

The current coming in by the main I sets the motors I and i8 and IS in motion.

The rotation of the shaft H of the motor 10 sends momentary currents through the leads l4 and I5 by means of the cams l3, successively, illuminating the words dont Gamble).

Then by means of the next six cams, their respective switches are actuated to send currents to the various dice in the rows 5 and 6 through the leads 56 successively illuminating pairs of adjacent dice in both rows from the left to the right. Then by the ninth cam, a current is sent through the lead 30 to the induction side of the multiple switches 26 and 21 to be transmitted through the individual switches which happen to be closed, to the dice l6 and IT.

The closure through the switches 26 and 21 will be hereinafter described.

When the dice have been illuminated, as above described, the tenth and eleventh cams act to illuminate the advertising space or portions thereof.

The switch 28 is now closed by the twelfth cam 'of the multiple switch 9 sending a current to the induction side of the switches 22 and 23 through the lead 29. The cams on the shafts of the motors I8 and I9 are adapted to cause the opening and closing of the switches for varying short intervals. Consequently varying momentary pulsations of current will fiow to the motors 24 and 25 while the switches 28 and 22 and 23 are closed. When the switch 28 or a switch 22 or 23 is open the current is interrupted and the motors 24 and 25 rotate by their inertia. The cams on the shafts of the motors 24 and 25 are formed and arranged to separately energize the various circuits to illuminate the various combinations of spots" upon the dice l6 and H as above described. The inertia of the motors 24 and 25,

under the influence of the current while switches 28 and 22 and 23 are closed, during the interval between the opening of the switch 28 and the closing of the ninth switch oi the multiple switch 9, will cause a variable and uncertain arrangement of the circuits to the dice l6 and I1. Of course, the switches 26 and 211 are so constructed that more than six spots of a die are never shown at the same time.

In Fig. 3, a circuit is shown which may be used. In this figure a is a generator and b a transformer in a circuit energized by said generator, 0 is a circuit energized by the secondary of the transformer b, d is a neon tube or lamp in the circuit 0.

The dice l6 and I! may be cubes, if desired, as illustrated in Figure 4 in which case separate lamps e, with separate circuits may be used to indicate the spots, as shown in Figure 4.

A die may be of translucent material and the light placed within it, the: dots" I being of colored or opaque material as indicated in Figure 5.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, a plurality of objects adapted to be successively illuminated by a momentary current of electricity, a circuit leading to each of said objects, the circuit to one of said objects being divided, each division being adapted to illuminate said object in a different manner from that of the other of said divisions, a multiple switch controlling said divisions, an electric motor operating said switch. and means for sending a momentary current through said motor to actuate the same when said divided circuit is not energized, so that the inertia of said motor shall casually throw one or the other of said divisions into circuit when said divided circuit is energized.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a source of electricity, a series of representations of dice, a multiple switch, a circuit including said source and each of said representations of dice severally, said switch being adapted to close said circuits momentarily to illuminate said representations of dice successively, the circuit including one of said representations of dice being divided and adapted to illuminate different dots or groups of dots on said representation, a second multiple switch adapted to control said divided circuits, a motor adapted to actuate said second multiple switch and means for sending a momentary current through said motor when said divided circuit is not energized.

3. In an apparatus ofthe kind described, the combination of a source of electricity, a series of representations of dice, a multiple switch, a circuit including said source and each of said representations of dice severally, said switch being adapted to severally close said circuits momentarily to illuminate said representations of dice one after the other in sequence, the circuit in cluding one of said representations of dice being divided and adapted to illuminate different dots or groups of dots on the last named representation, a second multiple switch adapted to control said divided circuits, a motor adapted to actuate said second multiple switch having an energizing circuit, a second motor operated from said source, an energizing circuit including said second motor, a switch in the circuit of the motor actuating the second multiple switch, said second motor being adapted to operate the said second multiple switch at short intervals, and means for sending a momentary energizing current through the circuit including the first named motor when said illuminating circuits of the representations of dice are open.

4. In an advertising device the combination of, a plurality of separate representations of a die arranged to represent a sequence of consecutive positions differing by combined rotation and translation similarly to a thrown die, and means for illuminating said separate representations of dice one after another in sequence so as to produce a visual effect simulating a thrown die.

5. In an advertising device the combination set forth in claim 4 in which the means for illuminat ing the last die in the sequence is arranged to illuminate the last die a longer time to represent the die after it comes to rest.

WILLIAM DONALD DIEBEL. 

